Today is International Human Rights Day and I have an urgent message for Tony Blair.

Since 1975, various groups in Northern Uganda - including the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and cow-herders in the Karamojo region - have been accumulating arms.

These weapons, mainly AK47 machine guns, have contributed to gross violations of human rights.

The LRA has forcibly abducted more than 20,000 children, forcing many to murder their parents so they have no reason to escape.

Girl abductees are forced into sexual slavery. I witnessed thousands of children, some barely toddlers, walking miles to sleep rough in Kitgum town because it was too dangerous to sleep at home.

The lack of effective controls on the arms trade is fuelling conflicts like the one in Northern Uganda.

As the world's second largest exporter of weapons, Britain should take the lead in controlling the arms trade and support Oxfam and Amnesty International's call for an Arms Trade Treaty.

This would strictly control the supply of arms based on international human rights and humanitarian law.

Readers can join the Control Arms campaign at www.controlarms.org or by phoning 0870 333 2700.

-Jamie Theakston, Ditchling